<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>i would die for you in secret by bellawritess</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27708839">i would die for you in secret</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellawritess/pseuds/bellawritess'>bellawritess</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>mashton prompts [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>5 Seconds of Summer (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, References to Sex, Secret Relationship, cute shit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:55:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>862</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27708839</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellawritess/pseuds/bellawritess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael wakes up at six, to the coldness of a half-empty bed, and Ashton tugging on his jeans.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michael Clifford/Ashton Irwin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>mashton prompts [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2026598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i would die for you in secret</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><b>prompt:</b> "can't you stay a little longer?"</p><p><a href="https://clumsyclifford.tumblr.com/post/620214766854635520/96-you-choose-the-pairing-im-ready-to-be-soft">tumblr link!</a> </p><p>title from peace by taylor swift</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael wakes up at six, to the coldness of a half-empty bed, and Ashton tugging on his jeans.</p><p>“Ash,” Michael whines softly, even though he knows this is protocol. This is the deal, and Michael knows it has to be this, but he doesn’t have to like it.</p><p>Ashton shushes him. “I’m sorry,” he says, and sounds like he is.</p><p>“Can’t you stay a little longer?” Michael reaches groggily for Ashton. “Five minutes. Come on.”</p><p>“Mike,” Ashton says, in that familiar <em>you know I can’t </em>tone of voice. “You know I can’t.”</p><p>Michael does know. He knows Ashton’s mum would ask questions if she found his bed empty in the morning, and questions would mean answers, and Ashton wouldn’t have any truthful ones, because his mum doesn’t even know he’s gay, and anyway he’s not supposed to be sneaking out — and Michael <em>knows</em> it’s all for him, and he should feel grateful, and should feel lucky, which he does, but mostly he just feels sad. He wants Ashton to stay.</p><p>He knows it’s selfish, and doesn’t even care.</p><p>“I know,” he says unhappily. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>Ashton smiles at him, apologetic. “If I could stay, I would.” He pulls his shirt over his head and leans over Michael for a kiss. Michael savors it until it ends, and then pouts as Ashton tugs the window open and climbs out. It’s all very coming-of-age film, but Michael wishes they could skip to the ending, where Ashton’s mum finds out and gives him her blessing to, like, move in with Michael so they can just sleep in the same bed every night and make out until they fall asleep.</p><p>As the window slides shut and Ashton disappears from outside of it, Michael closes his eyes, hugging the extra pillow in his bed to his chest. It’s not the same as Ashton, who’s sturdy and warm, but Michael falls back asleep all the same, buzzing from the parting kiss.</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Michael could probably have a cool countdown moment to the knock on his window if he weren’t too busy playing Fifa.</p><p>As soon as the knock <em>does</em> come, though, he ends the game and hurries over to open it. Ashton is outside, and before he can even speak Michael leans in and kisses him hard, almost daring Ashton to pull back. But Ashton just kisses him back, purposeful and direct, with the heat that Michael misses every hour he doesn’t spend with Ashton.</p><p>Finally they part, and Ashton says, “Can I come in, Juliet?”</p><p>Michael steps back to admit Ashton, and Ashton pulls the window closed behind him. “Is everything okay?” Ashton asks. Michael doesn’t answer, so Ashton holds out his arms, and Michael sags against him, weak in his embrace, and confident that Ashton won’t let him fall.</p><p>“Tiring day,” he mumbles. “I missed you. You weren’t at school.”</p><p>“Yeah, sorry,” Ashton says. “I had to watch my siblings.”</p><p>Michael doesn’t ask why it’s Ashton’s job to watch his siblings. He already knows, and immediately feels badly for being so whiny. Here Ashton is, literally raising his brother and sister, and Michael’s complaining about — what, exactly?</p><p>“No, no,” he says. “Fuck. Sorry. Don’t apologize. It’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay that you have to do that, but it’s — you don’t have to be sorry.”</p><p>“Well, if it’s any consolation, I missed you too.” Ashton presses a gentle kiss against Michael’s temple, and Michael tilts his head, a silent encouragement to continue. </p><p>“You smell nice,” he says, as Ashton kisses his way down Michael’s face and jaw. Michael pulls back enough to meet Ashton’s eyes finally, and Ashton kisses him once on the mouth, so soft that Michael could melt in his arms.</p><p>“Thanks,” he says. “I showered.”</p><p>“Wow,” Michael says. “For me? You shouldn’t have.”</p><p>“No, for my other super hot secret boyfriend. I’m going to see him when I leave in the morning.”</p><p>“Well, by then you won’t smell nice anymore,” Michael reasons, tugging Ashton towards the bed with a crooked smile. “You’ll just smell like me. And sex.”</p><p>“I think you smell nice,” Ashton says, affronted. “And I’m pretty sure sex is what, like, most perfume companies are selling.”</p><p>Michael rolls his eyes. “I’m propositioning you,” he says.</p><p>“I know that,” Ashton says. Michael hates him.</p><p>“I wish you could stay,” he says mournfully.</p><p>Ashton pushes lightly against Michael’s chest, and Michael falls into his bed, bracketing Ashton with his legs.</p><p>“Stop thinking so much,” Ashton says. “I’m here now.”</p><p>“And yet here I am, still wearing all of my clothes.”</p><p>Ashton shakes his head, immeasurably fond, and dips his head down to kiss Michael. “You’re difficult,” he says against Michael’s mouth. </p><p>“You love it.”</p><p>Ashton doesn’t reply, just kisses him harder with a little more fire, and Michael decides he can stop thinking ahead for a little while. Ashton will fall asleep with him; Ashton risks his freedom to come kiss him goodnight. Michael’s not going to ruin these spare hours with pesky thoughts of the future. He’s got Ashton now.</p><p>One day he’ll have Ashton forever, but right now Ashton is here, kissing him, wandering hands on Michael, and it’s enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading &lt;3 i'm on tumblr <a href="http://clumsyclifford.tumblr.com/">@clumsyclifford</a> so come say hey!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>